Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Made to Break - Before the Code (Trost, 2015)

Made to Break is one of the most recent of multi-reedist and
composer Ken Vandermark’s many ensembles. With a mix of electric and acoustic
instruments there is a wide range of possibilities for the music to evolve.
This band includes Christof Kurzmann on electronics, Jasper Stadhouders on electric
bass and Tim Daisy on drums. “Dial the Number (Intro)” is opened by electronics
and strong drumming developing into a strapping quartet section, with the
electronics stretching space and time while Vandermark’s ripe tenor saxophone
leads the group storming forward. They play with the form quite a bit, with
Vandermark spitting choppy and guttural bursts while Kurzmann frames him with
bursts of static. Fast saxophone and sawing electronics are at the center of
“Dial the Number (for Agnes Varda)” with the electronics dropping out briefly
to allow the trio to fly free. When Kurzmann does return, he builds a section
of scouring noise, pushing the music into post-rock territory, akin to bands
like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Tortoise at their most abstract. It works
well through, as all of the members of the band are relentless explorers in
their own right. “Off Picture No. 119 (For Joshua Oppenheimer)” has a slow and
moody start that gradually gives way to a very nice saxophone, bass and drums
section. Electronic noise enters, swirling and shimmering as Daisy slips into a
steady heartbeat like rhythm. Electronics take command and reach critical mass
sounding like Sun Ra at his freakiest before Vandermark makes his return over
surprisingly funky bass and drums. Daisy get a brief solo before locking in
with Stadhouders and the rest of the band sounding much like another Vandermark
ensemble: the dearly missed Spaceways Inc. as they end the track playing funky,
free and awesome. An abstraction of percussion, thick bass and probing bass is
the feeling of “Window Breaking Hammer (for Reiner Werner Fassbinder)” where they
carefully take things up with some rattling bass and the music building faster
and stronger. Things drop out into an ominous and haunting midsection with
smears of noise and drones, which are highly pitched and nervous. They pull
back to end the very lengthy track beautifully with the acoustic trio playing a
medium fast improvisation with electronic frames and shading. The music on this
album is quite diverse, running the gamut from jazz to free improvisation to
experimental rock music. This is a very exciting group that really thrives on
the unexpected and develops their music accordingly. Before the Code - band camp